Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-11
CHAPTER II.

Mistress Thankful remained at the well
until her lover had disappeared. Then
she turned. n mere lissom shadow in that
uncertain light, and glidcd under the
caves of the shed, and thence from tree to
tree of the orchard, lingering II moment
under each as the trout fingers in the
shadow of the bank in passing Il shallow,
and so reached the farm house and the
kitchen door, where she entered. Thence
by back staircase she slipped to her
own bower, from whose window half an
hour before she had taken the signaling
light This she lit again, and placed upon
q chest of drawers; and, taking off her hood
and shapeless sleeveless mantle she had
worn, went to the mirror, and proceeded
to readjust high horn comb that had
been somewhat displaced by the captains
arm and otherwise after the fashion of
her sex to remove all traces of II previous
! lover 1t may be here observed that u
man is very apt to come from the sma est
encounter with his dulcinea distract,
bored or shamefaced; to forget that his
cravat is awry, or that long blonde hair
is adhering to his button. But as to
mademoisclle-well, looking at Miss
Pussy's sleek paws and spotless face,
would YOU ever know that she had been
at the cream jug?
Thankful was, / think, satisfied with
/ her appearance Small doubt but she had
reason for it. And yet her gown was a
mere slip of flowercd chintz, gathered at
the neck and falling at an angle of fifteen
degrees to within an inch of Il short petit
coat of gray flannel. But so surely is the
complete mold Of symmetry indicated il
the po:se or line of any single member
that looking ut the erect carriage of hel
graceful brown head, or below TO the
curves that were lost in her shapcly
ankles, or the little feet that hid them
selves in the broad buckled shoes, yot
knew that the rest was as genuine anC
beautiful.
Mistress Thankful after Il pause
opened the door, and listened. Then sh,
softly slipped down the back staircase t
the front hall. 1t was dark, but tn,
door of the company room, or parlor, wa
family indicated by the light tina
streamed beneath it. She stood still TO
a moment hesitatingly, when suddenly
hand graspcd her own, and half led hal
dragged her into the sitting room opposite
1t was dark. There was q momentar
fumbling for the finder box and flint,
muttered oath over one or two impedin
articles of furniture, and Thankful
laughed. And then the light was lit, am
her father, gray, wrinkled man of &C
still holding her hand, stood before her
, ''You have been out, mistressW
II have" said Thankful
"And not alone" growled the old mar
angrily.
"No," said Mistress Thankful, with
smile that began in the corners of he
brown eyes, ran down into the dimple
curves of her mouth and finally ended i
the sudden revelation of her white teet
-"no, not alone"
= ''With whom?" asked the old MAJ
gradually weakening under her strong
= saucy presence.
J ''Well, father said Thankful, takin
: a seat on table and swinging her littl
2 feet somewhat ostentatiously toward hin
| 81 was with Capt. Allan Brewster, Of I'll
, Connecticut contingent"
= THAT man?n
THAT manr'
S 81 forbid you seeing him again."